Casinos are buildings where people can gamble and play games of chance. These buildings are found in many cities and countries around the world, and the number of casinos has increased over time.
History of Casino
The gambling craze that swept Europe in the 16th century led to the creation of the casino, a place where people could play a variety of games under one roof. In modern times, casinos have become an entertainment destination in themselves and are often the main source of revenue for communities where they exist.
Gambling & Security
Casinos employ sophisticated security measures to prevent cheating and theft of patrons’ money. In addition to general surveillance, dealers and pit bosses are trained to watch over the games and their patrons. These professionals can spot blatant cheats like palming, marking or switching cards or dice and can also spot betting patterns that indicate cheating.
Elaborate surveillance systems offer a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” that allows the casino’s security personnel to watch the entire casino at once. Cameras in the ceiling change windows and doorways to focus on suspicious patrons, and security monitors in a separate room can record video feeds for future review.
In some cases, casinos use computer-generated random numbers to determine slot machine payouts. This technology is intended to prevent the sort of cheating that took place in some Las Vegas casinos in the 1950s, when gangsters made large amounts of money from extortion and drug dealing in the city’s casinos.